Hupp Motor Car (Detroit, Michigan)

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Hupp Motor Car was incorporated in 1908 by a group of former Oldsmobile workers, including Robert C Hupp. It started out at a small factory at 1025 Bellevue Avenue before moving to a new factory constructed at East Jefferson Avenue and Concord in 1911. It was at this time that Robert Hupp left the company to form RCH Motor Car.

The success of the Hupmobile quickly led to the need for more space. Reincorporated as Hupp Motor Car Corporation, a new plant capable of turning out 15,000 cars a year was constructed in 1913 near Milwaukee Junction. The Jefferson Avenue plant was sold to King Motor Car. The new four story plant featured several wings and a powerhouse. By 1919, over 1,700 workers were employed at the facility. Production rose from 15,000 cars in 1921 to a peak of 65,881 cars in 1928. Following several expansions between 1919 and 1922, the total plant area amounted to 1.6 million square feet. Hupp acquired the financially strapped Chandler-Cleveland Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio, makers of automobiles of the same name, in 1928.

Car sales slumped drastically during the Depression and production continued at a reduced rate until 1941 when the plant was converted to war production. After the war, Hupp decided to exit the automobile business and make appliances. The Detroit factory was sold to Midland Steel in 1950 and production moved to Cleveland. In the 1960's the factory was occupied by Michigan Metal Processing, before it was sold to Great Lakes Sugar & Warehousing in 1968. Great Lakes Sugar remained until 1980. The following year the plant was demolished.